Developing a relationship of love and kindness with yourself is the first step to create a strong loving and kind community surrounding you.

It doesn’t matter if you are living abroad, or are back in your home country, the rule is the same!

We just get stuck in building a community as an immigrant because we have to make an effort to build/be part of one. In our home countries, you feel it came naturally, right? But it didn’t! You spent your whole life nurturing those relationships, even if they were positive or not, and I bet you didn’t even stop to think if those were the relationships you wanted to nurture.

Now, look at this new beginning as an opportunity to see yourself and define who you want to be.

Invest time and effort in yourself, discovering what you love and who you truly are.

Because if you don’t, guess what happens?

You will try to make friends with people who do not resonate with you, who do not share the same values. It will be a frustrating experience and you will feel lonely and incapable of connecting.

Diversity is beautiful and it’s totally great to make friends with all kinds of people, but it’s important to share our energy and invest in people who lift us up, and with whom we know we can count on.

If you are being used, mistreated, ignored, this is something else, not a friendship.

Now it’s time to have that true conversation with yourself to understand what are your desires and who you want to be.

If it’s too hard to look into yourself right now, please seek help! A friend, a mother, a coach…

You don’t need to do it alone if it’s overwhelming you.

But you need to do it!

Here is a simple exercise, so you can start to understand what are the important things to you. After you get that, you will have more clarity on what kind of relationships/friendships you are looking for.

Activity: Gratitude Journal

During this week, before going to bed write 5 things that happened in your day that you are grateful for.

This will give you an idea, about the things you value in life.

Then, start putting energy on it, look for people who share the same energy with you.

When you less expect, you will be surrounded by things and people that are aligned with who you are.

Write down in the comments when you are starting your Gratitude Journal.